WANA (Mar 07) – The National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran’s Parliament has issued a statement in response to the recent remarks by Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

 

The statement is as follows:

 

“To the great and heroic nation of Iran,

 

Rafael Grossi, for yet another time, has included political remarks against the Iranian nation in his report to the IAEA Board of Governors. Regarding this report, the following points must be emphasized:

 

1. The Director General has expressed concern that Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium has reached 275 kg. However, it is unclear what his legal and technical basis for concern is. According to Article IV of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty), all member states have three inalienable rights: 1- Research and development, 2- Production, and 3- Utilization of nuclear energy.

 

These rights are solely conditional upon the peaceful nature of activities. Based on this principle, Iran has the right to utilize all peaceful nuclear capacities. Mr. Grossi is certainly aware that before the Islamic Revolution, the United States provided the Shah with a research reactor for medical and radiopharmaceutical production, which ran on 93% enriched uranium. Therefore, enriching uranium to 60% for peaceful medical and non-medical purposes has no legal prohibition. Under these circumstances, it remains unclear on what legal basis Mr. Grossi’s concerns are founded.

 

 

2. The Director General has stated that Iran is not implementing the Additional Protocol. Mr. Grossi must note that, first, Iran’s implementation of the Additional Protocol was voluntary, not obligatory. Second, under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), Iran’s voluntary implementation of the Protocol was conditional on the lifting of Western sanctions. Since commitments in agreements must be reciprocal, the Director General should instead compel the world’s coercive powers to uphold their JCPOA and UN Resolution 2231 obligations by lifting sanctions.

 

 

3. Mr. Grossi has claimed that Iran has conducted nuclear activities at undeclared sites. He knows well that such allegations originate from Israeli intelligence reports, which have no credibility for free nations, including Iran. As has been repeatedly declared, all of Iran’s nuclear activities are under IAEA supervision and entirely peaceful.

 

 

4. The Director General has expressed concern regarding past and present outstanding issues. He must remember that at the start of the JCPOA, then-IAEA chief Yukiya Amano explicitly confirmed in a report that all IAEA questions regarding outstanding issues were fully resolved. On what technical basis, then, has a closed case been reopened?

 

 

5. Mr. Grossi has raised concerns over Iran’s refusal to admit four IAEA inspectors. However, under the IAEA Statute, the inspected country has the right to reject certain inspectors and request replacements. Iran’s decision is therefore fully legal, and Mr. Grossi’s concerns are unfounded.

 

 

 

We advise Mr. Grossi to:

 

First: Prevent the IAEA from becoming a tool of certain global hegemonic powers.

 

Second: Ensure that the agency’s conduct and statements remain within the bounds of IAEA regulations and refrain from political posturing.

 

Third: Explain how, despite 92% of all IAEA inspections in history taking place in Iran during the JCPOA, Iran’s nuclear program can still be questioned as “non-peaceful.”

 

Fourth: Clarify what technical nuclear assistance the IAEA has provided to Iran, given its obligation to assist NPT member states like Iran.

 

Fifth: Ensure that nations such as France and Germany, which owe billions of dollars to Iran under their extensive nuclear agreements, fulfill their commitments and pay their dues.

 

 

Finally, on behalf of the Iranian people, we firmly declare to the Director General: this ancient and civilized nation will safeguard its scientific and technological achievements under any circumstances and will not allow aggressors to violate its resources.

 

Furthermore, Iran’s Parliament will take decisive legislative action if it observes any behavior against Iran’s national interests.”